Tag Archives: blogger

Have you noticed the trees? Have you noticed how the wind can change so suddenly? When’s the last time you actually looked at the sunrise/sunset and examined the colors that are hidden behind the colors everyone else sees?

Being still is so misunderstood and over thought. When I refer to “being still”, I’m not talking about Zen or doing yoga poses. I mean, slowing down, noticing what’s around you, breathing and being aware of where…you’re…at….

Society teaches us to go, go, go and if you slow down, you’re doing something wrong.

How are we supposed to know where we’re going if we’re always going and we don’t stop or slow down to catch our bearings?

I recently got a pair of Red Wing boots for the first time in a very long time. I had a pair several years ago but lost them after playing a show. (Long story short, don’t let a merch guy pack your personal items, especially when you’re in a rush.)

Day one was of the most uncomfortable days my feet had experienced in a very long time. I’d forgotten how much fresh leather hurts. The instant gratification of comfort is not an option when it comes to breaking in real leather boots. Everything about my feet hurt, the arches, the soles even, my toes.

It’s currently day seven of wearing them constantly (possibly falling asleep in them a couple of times. I’m pretty sure I burned a hundred calories). The leather has softened and there are creases from using them like they should be.

The good things in life will take cultivation and time. At some point, durable things will involve pain but if you can last through it, it makes it all worth it.

Radio. When I hear that word, I think of something that my father would reminisce about as something of the “good ole days”. Radio now means a thing of the past and something I’ve heard people wonder why are still in cars.

In my generation, the millennial generation, we have Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and other very customizable listening options under the term, radio. Things nowadays are set for instant gratification and personalization. It also goes along with society’s point of view of me, me, me.

Radio is just an example of what’s happening to society. It has become easier to talk to someone on Instagram, text, Facebook or Snapchat and then we wonder why we struggle with face to face. We find conversation harder without a screen on either end.

While I do appreciate being able to choose what I listen to, there’s a certain beauty to listening to the radio and hearing someone’s opinion, facts presented and not having a quick way to rebut, agree or join in the conversation. The notion of sitting back, thinking for yourself and drawing conclusions based on another person’s words is foreign to many people my age.

So, to conclude, try turning on the radio, and listening. You might be surprised at how much you’ll enjoy it.

As the Iowa wind blusters about causing people to scurry out of their cars and in to the surrounding storefronts, I am sitting in a coffeeshop called Scenic Route Bakery. It is a marvelous little spot, filled with very aesthetically hung tools. There’s also a vintage looking bicycle hanging in one corner. While this place bustles with people coming in and out, getting their caffeine fix, there are are still spots to sit down, including a couple of small semi-closed off resting areas with a few couches. The atmosphere is filled with people talking, random bursts of laughter and the frequent yet non-intrusive calling of drinks by a barista.

I ended up ordering an Ethiopian roast pour-over from Stumptown Coffee. Pour-overs are my favorite style of brewing for coffee because there’s isn’t a rush with the process. It’s slow yet worth the wait…….

“Pour-over for Skylar!” shook me out of the trance that the blur of traffic zooming by had lulled me into. As I went to get my coffee and smiled at a couple of people who looked up at my passing, I knew that this day would be a damn fine day.

If based off of previous experiences with other coffeeshops bustles and noise, one might find it hard to think, much less write, read and do anything that requires the utmost of attention. Believe it or not, the bustle and the noise becomes a part of the table, the floor, the very essence of the coffeehouse. It’s also placed very strategically, right on Walnut Street in downtown Des Moines.

I would definitely rate this shop a solid 10/10. If you ever make out to the great city of the river of monks, I would highly recommend visiting. The service is also tough to beat with smiles outshining the puffs of steam from barista’s who genuinely enjoy their job.